As far as taking an in-person class, if you tend to be the type to research things and think about them rather than doing them, then a class is an amazing resou

As far as taking an in-person class, if you tend to be the type to research things and think about them rather than doing them, then a class is an amazing resource: - other students to practice with (new friends who share an interest!) - a teacher you can ask questions and build a relationship with (if they're a native speaker, this can be motivating) - you're forced to listen, speak, read, and write, often before you feel ready I started with language courses, and lucked out with a great teacher and fun students. I spent lots of time with the language and advanced really quickly, and my classes were perfect places to try out my new knowledge. I still remember one day we were having some natives over to interview, and I racked my brain to come up with interesting questions; one of them was 'What's in your fridge at home?'. My point is that my class was a great place to try out what I was learning at home on my own time. Also lots of fun memories. --- I'd agree on asking questions about grammar; it's possible to study the language instead of learning it. What I mean is that studying and having the skills - speaking, writing, etc - are two very different things. As far as learning grammar, this cycle proved extremely effective for me: - Learn about grammar in class - Learn about grammar on my own (e.g. compare English and Russian grammar [1]) - notice new grammar in whatever I was listening or reading Jim Scrivener (an English teacher and teacher trainer) writes this about grammar in 'Learning Teaching' (p. 253): "It seems likely that learners have to do a number of things to be able to start making any new grammar item part of their own personal stock of language. They probably need to have _exposure_ to the language; they need to _notice_ and _understand_ itms being used; they need to _try using_ language themselves in 'safe' practice ways and in more demainding contexts; they need to _remember_ the things they have learnt." [2] So it follows from this that learning needs to be a very rich process - bursting at the seams with context and emotions and lots of words; where Duolingo and the others are more similar to a Greek salad: not bad, but you're not getting everything you need. So use language learning apps, but make sure your language learning diet is giving you everything: lots of exposure, time to notice and understand, opportunities to practice - from easy to demanding, and plenty of review. If you have a healthy diet - lots of exposure to the language - then you'll review grammar structures and words as a natural part of your listening/reading. 1: https://www.amazon.com/English-Grammar-Students-Russian-Learning/dp/0934034214 https://www.amazon.com/English-Grammar-Students-Russian-Lear... 2: https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=vPWdBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&dq=It+seems+likely+that+learners+have+to+do+a+number+of+things+to+be+able+to+start+making+any+new+grammar+item+part+of+their+own+personal+stock+of+language.&hl=ru&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim1eL0h4LiAhWBpIsKHZjcAxYQ6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=It%20seems%20likely%20that%20learners%20have%20to%20do%20a%20number%20of%20things%20to%20be%20able%20to%20start%20making%20any%20new%20grammar%20item%20part%20of%20their%20own%20personal%20stock%20of%20language.&f=false https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=vPWdBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&dq=... (different book, same quote)